BLACKSBURG, Va. (Jan. 12, 2007) - The ETSU Track and Field team opened up its 2007 portion of the schedule as they finished the first day competing at the Virginia Tech Invitational on Friday evening.

Senior high jumper Anna Marie Ricciardi (Canfield, Ohio) finished third with a jump of 5-07 (1.70m), tying her best leap of the season. Riccardi finished behind Meggie Scheulke (Virginia) and Toni Aluko (Maryland) who both posted jumps of 5-08.75 (1.75m).

Jenny Knox (Connelly Springs, N.C.) posted a time qualifying time of 7.28 in the preliminaries of the 55-meters, which was the fifth best time in the heat. In the semifinals, the senior sprinter finished 14th with a time of 7.34. Sophomore Nae-Nae Bailey (Statesville, N.C.) and freshman Octavia Burgess (Morganton, N.C.) finished 19th and 20th in the 55-meter prelims with marks of 7.34.

The ETSU women throwers had a respectable outing as sophomore Dedra Jones (North Tazewell, Va.) and freshman Zachlynn Blackburn (Tazewell, Va.) competed in the weight throw. Jones finished with a heave of 46-03.50 (14.11m), good for a 17th-place finish, while Blackburn ended with a toss of 44-05.25 (13.54m) and finished 22nd.

On the men's side, senior Mike Wright (Chattanooga) finished with the 21st best time (7.89) in the 55-meter hurdle preliminaries. Wright also competed in the 300-meters, posting a mark of 37.39, and finished 42nd. Tennessee native, Tyler Woodruff (Seymour) also competed in the 300-meters, and finished 23rd with a time of 35.59.

Day two of the Virginia Tech Invitational begins with the women's shot put and the mile run, which starts at noon. Please visit www.ETSUBucs.com for updated results and news on the ETSU track and field teams.